Scourge of the Sword Coast Book

8/20/2019 Scourge of the Sword Coast Book

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AGE

OF THE™

DREAMS OF THE RED WIZARDS™

AN ADVENTURE FOR CHARACTERS OF 2ND – 4TH LEVEL

T ITO LEATI M ATT SERNETT CHRIS SIMS


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INTRODUCTIONScourge of the Sword Coast TM is a D&D® Next adventuredesigned for 2nd-level characters. This adventure is thefirst part of the Dreams of the Red Wizards™ campaign, which continues with the Dead in Thay™ adventure,available later in 2014. Over the course of these twoadventures, players can face off with major villains ofthe F R® campaign setting.

This adventure is playable at home or through athirteen-session D&D Encounters™ season. The seasonbegins on the February 15–16 Launch Weekend at your local Wizards Play Network location. The seasoncontinues every Wednesday after that, and concludeson Wednesday, May 7. Playing in the store is fun and agreat way to enhance the experience. Here are some ofthe benefits of playing in stores.

✦ Participants receive a twenty-sided die designedespecially for this season.

✦ Players receive a color map of the Daggerford region.

✦ Dungeon Masters receive a poster map of Dagger-

ford as well as its surrounding region.✦ Dungeon Masters receive six nonplayer-character

cards that they can use as a play aid.

✦ It’s a really great way to support your friendly localgame store!

Launch Weekend kicks off this season. Check whichday your local game store plans to run the event. Thisseason, the Launch Weekend portion is built intothe adventure. Allow two to four hours for the event.Players should have enough time to gain admittanceto Daggerford and find at least one of the adventure

hooks. That way, when they return on Wednesday forD&D Encounters, it’s easy to pick up where they left off.

CREDITSDesign Tito Leati, Matt Sernett, Chris Sims

DevelopmentMatt Sernett, Chris Sims

Editing Scott Fitzgerald Gray

D&D Group Manager

Mike MearlsD&D ProducerGreg Bilsland

Senior Creative Director Jon Schindehette

Art DirectorKate Irwin

Graphic Designer Trish Yochum

Cover Illustration Tyler Jacobson

Cartography

Mike Schley Interior IllustrationsSam Carr, Miles Johnston, Mike Schley, Mark Winters

D&D Brand TeamNathan Stewart, Liz Schuh, Laura Tommervik, ShellyMazzanoble, Chris Lindsay, Hilary Ross, John Feil

Prepress Manager Jefferson Dunlap

Imaging TechnicianCarmen Cheung

Production ManagerDonna Woodcock

Organized PlayChris Tulach

Playtesters Adam Page, André Bégin, Andrew, Andy Madsen, Anthony Carroselli ,Brendan Bar, Brent, Bri, Cecilia Black, Chris Olsen, Chris Wood, CraigCampbell, David Stark, Dean Hagis, Derek McIntosh, Derwin Roberson,Edward Kim, Egert, Éric Leroux , Genevieve Miedema, Giaco Furino, Greg

Wise, Harry Fla skos, Harv ie Jarrie ll, Horner, Iakus, Jamie Tachiyama, Ja sonBaxter, Jason Burnley, Jason, JD Harvill, Je ssica, Jonah Wise, JonathanUrman, Josh Pittman, Karl Resch, Keegan Wise, Kenneth J. Breese, LaurenBilanko, Liam Gulliver, Manda Collis, Manon Crevier., Marc Bernard, Mark,Mary Hershey, Matt Rolston, Matthew Stanton, Mélanie Côté, MelissaForward, Michael Liebhart, Mik Calow, Mike Flaskos, Mike, Naomi Harris,Naomi Kellerman-Bernard, Nick Peterson, Nicole Bunge, Raiane, RayFranklin, Reanna Hackney, Regis Collins, Rob Ramirez, Robert Alaniz,Robert Hallowell, Robert Quillen II , Sean Plank, Shaun, Tiffany Taylor,

Todd Wahnish, Tom Burdak, Travis Graham, Western Avenue Gamers, Will Vaughn, Yan Lacharité

Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, their respective logos, andScourge of the Sword Coast , all other Wizards of the Coast product names, andtheir respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast L LC in the USAand other countries. All Wizards characters and their distinctive likenessesare property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. This material is protected underthe copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction orunauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibitedwithout the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC. Anysimilarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events included herein ispurely coincidental.

©2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC.620B11188001 EN

PREPARING THE ADVENTURE

Before you start the adventure, spend time familiarizing

yourself with the locations, events, and characters. Theadventure’s introduction is the most important part to

read initially. As characters proceed, get comfortable notonly with the locations they’re going to explore, but alsowith the statistics of the creatures relevant to the area.

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remote area of the Forlorn Hills, away from prying eyes yet within striking distance of the Thayans’ ultimateaim—Waterdeep. In the fortress, under the directionof the lich Tarul Var, the Red Wizards are creating amagic gate to transport their forces from Thay to theSword Coast. They plan to connect the gate to a portalnetwork a gold elf named Shalendra Floshin revealed tothem while under Baazka’s influence. To distract nearby inhabitants from the true objec-

tive and to soften possible future resistance, the Red Wizards have employed Baazka to possess several evilhumanoids and persuade their tribes to come over toSzass Tam’s side. As the Red Wizards’ magic gate nearscompletion, bands of bloodthirsty humanoids preyon traffic across the Daggerford region, raising panicand confusion. News of the attacks has been reachingDaggerford on almost a daily basis, and with this infor-mation have come groups of desperate refugees. Daggerford can’t take in all the displaced folk. Tomake matters worse, Pencheska, a succubus in thrallto Tarul Var, is working to sow chaos in the town. Herefforts have met with no resistance thus far. Althoughthe return of the Red Wizards is not yet revealed, it isclear that Daggerford needs heroes to stop the scourgecurrently menacing nearby lands.

A DVENTURE S YNOPSIS The adventurers arrive when Daggerford is crowded with refugees from outlying lands. Goblins, gnolls, andorcs have been raiding the countryside. Now, food isscarce and tension is high. Blame for a theft has fallenon the refugees, and the Duke of Daggerford has forbid-den more of the displaced from coming into town.

After overcoming diff iculties to enter Daggerford,the characters learn more about the raids. As they fightagainst the humanoids and delve deeper in the dark-ness that encircles Daggerford, the characters learn ofBloodgate Keep. After a final fiendish ambush, they’reready to confront the real threat to the area.

STARTING THE

A DVENTURE This adventure assumes the characters, due to a call

from Sir Isteval in Daggerford for heroic or mercenaryaid, are all traveling with a caravan from Waterdeeptoward Daggerford. The players might have other ideas.(All the characters need not be coming for the samereason.) You might take a moment to describe who SirIsteval is, since the characters are likely to know him atleast by reputation.

B ACKGROUND This adventure picks up in Daggerford after the eventsof Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle™. That series of fouradventures (available on www.dndclassics.com ) chroni-cles the efforts of the Red Wizards to collect four keysto unlock the power of elemental nodes located in anabandoned temple once dedicated to the Princes ofElemental Evil.

Over the course of Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, char-acters faced off with the Red Wizards and other threatsaround Daggerford. They also encountered many of thenonplayer characters (NPCs) featured in this adventure,including Sir Isteval, who is at the center of the effortto thwart the Red Wizards’ plans. If you are runningScourge of the Sword Coast for the same group that playedthrough Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, you might want toadjust portions of this adventure to account for events inthat one. In Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, a gate to the NineHells lay open for some time, spewing devils andsmoke. The heroes who closed the gate could not

know it, but amid the chaos of battle, another threatemerged. This invisible presence is the essence of a pitfiend who has long had designs on the Sword Coast. The devil, named Baazka, once marshaled armies fromDragonspear Castle, and it was into his heart that apriest of Tempus lodged the mighty Illydrael, the swordthat served as the key to closing the gate.

Smote through the heart but not yet dead, Baazkafled through the gate, the blade of the sword breakingoff in his body. Had the blow killed him in the world,the devil could have returned after a century to wreakhis revenge. Had it killed him in the Nine Hells, Baazka

would have ceased to exist. Instead, the pit fiend’s blackheart continued to beat around the blade. Fearingthat removing the broken sword would mean his end,Baazka has struggled along in the Nine Hells, remindedof his desire for revenge with every painful heartbeat. Through sympathetic magic, Baazka was unable toenter Faerûn as long as the gate remained closed by Illy-drael. Once the gate opened, he could pass through onlyin a ghostlike state. In this form, the pit fiend soughtand failed to possess a Red Wizard named Mennek. The attempt alerted Mennek, who informed his master,Szass Tam. Now Baazka works with the Red Wizardsin return for Szass Tam’s promise to free the fiend from

his cursed and pained existence. The events of Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle failed toend Szass Tam’s scheme to turn the Sword Coast intoa bridgehead for Thayan domination of northwesternFaerûn. If anything, the Red Wizards’ tribulationsurged them to act with more caution. On the ruins of the abandoned elemental temple,the Thayans have been constructing a secret strong-hold they call Bloodgate Keep. The small fortress is in a


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When you’re ready to begin, read the following:

By the time the caravan you’re with is a day out of Dagger- ford, a number of refugees , mostly displaced farmers andother commoners, have joined the train. Everyone has heardnews of widespread and unusual raiding by savage human-oids, such as gnolls, orcs, and goblins. As the caravan passessouth along the Trade Way, abandoned and burned farm-steads and thorps are a common sight. The ev idence along

this part of the road suggests gnoll s and goblins. The caravan circles up for the night within sight of a farm-stead to the east. The place is bereft of life. A scarecrow leansin a partially plowed field. The fences have been knockeddown in places. Doors to the house and barn stand open.

Development: Let the players introduce their char-acters. Nothing significant happens until the charactersgo to the farmstead or later in the night. Clues: The farmstead is ransacked and looted. Onlysome food stores and ale remain. Clues include longarrows, some bloody fangs, and a severed wolf’s paw. This evidence points to gnolls, as anyone who succeedson a DC 10 Intelligence (History or Nature) check candiscern. A character who can track can eventually learnthe gnolls came from the north a couple days ago.

Creatures: During the night, six goblins and agoblin boss come with two sack-laden wolves to raid theremaining stores on the farm. If no one is in the farm-stead, they start ransacking the place for fun. With asuccessful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check, charac-ters at the caravan might hear them breaking potteryand fences, and see them light the scarecrow on fire. Although the caravan guards keep close watch, the gob-lins don’t come down to the road. Therefore, no NPCs

from the caravan go to investigate the disturbance atthe farmstead.

Difficult Admittance As the characters approach Daggerford’s Caravan Gatein the late afternoon the next day, the town’s situationbecomes clear. Read the following text to the players,allowing them to interrupt at any time:

Wagons and carts are parked among tents and other impro- vised shelters on the caravan grounds near Daggerford’ssouthern Caravan Gate. Draft animals and a few haggard

folk are in the ramshackle camp. A larger group of people is gathered around the gateway.The people, likely refugees, are shouting at a semicircle of sixleather-clad, crossbow-armed guards that has a sturdily built female human at its center. She wears studded leather andleans on a spear, holding her helmet under her left arm, to which a buckler is strapped.

A young human man near the front of the crowd yells, “My wife is with child! She needs real shelter and some help, for

the love of the gods!” A wide-eyed pregnant woman wringsher hands at his side. Over more shouts, the female soldier looks contrite andspeaks. “The duke has decreed that no more refugees canenter the town. The militia enforces the duke’s will in this. Noexceptions. I’m sorry.” “Mustn’t you at least admit those in real need, Sherlen?”asks a well-dressed halfling standing just in front of thecrowd. “The y’ve come here for help. Someone could die.” He

wears a fine azure cloak with a brooch that looks l ike a out-sized coin with a female face on it—the symbol of the goddessTymora, Lady Luck. “No exceptions, Curran,” she replies. A small crowd of locals has gathered inside the gatebehind the guards.

Roleplaying: The characters can intervene. Seethe Local Notables section for more on the importanttownsfolk (Curran, Sherlen, and Pencheska) involved.Here are some parameters for the scene.

✦ The pregnant woman’s name is Anise Bower, and

her husband’s name is Jon.✦ Refugees aren’t allowed in because a relic was

recently stolen from Duke Maldwyn’s castle. Theduke believes a stranger in town stole the object,

Curran Corvalin

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a rectangular brick of quartzite carved in the styl-ized likeness of a dwarf face. The duke wants nomore “beggars” in town until the brick, locallyknown as the Delimbiyr Bloke, is recovered.

✦ Only those who can pay for a stay at the RiverShining Tavern (2 gp per person per day, includ-ing meals) can enter Daggerford. As the mostupscale inn in Daggerford, the River Shining isthe only place in town with room for more guests.

If the characters offer to pay the way for Jonand Anise Bower, and show the party has themoney to do so, Sherlen is uncertain what to do.If the characters suggest this course but can’t pro-duce the money for themselves and the Bowers,Curran Corvalin offers to pay for the common-ers. It then takes a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion)check to convince Sherlen to make the exception.

✦ Characters can appeal to Sherlen’s heroic sideby volunteering to aid the town. As adventuringtypes, they look like they might be able to help.If they do so, Sherlen invites them to stay in the

militia barracks.✦ A good performer or skilled artisan might be

able to appeal for a place in town, either by wayof the guilds or as a tavern entertainer. Anyone who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (History)check knows enough about Daggerford’s cultureto know this path is a possibility.

Convincing Sherlen in this case takes some evi-dence of the character’s skill and some persuasion(DC 10 Charisma [Performance] or [Persuasion]check). A character who volunteers to pay guilddues (2 gp) gains advantage on the check, as

someone who succeeded on the aforementionedIntelligence check also knows.

✦ If the players come up with another scheme to getpast the militia, use the options already describedas guidelines for improvising the interaction.

Development: Whether the characters succeedor fail to gain entrance, the refugee crowd becomesunruly. Here are some parameters for this development.

✦ Several refugees move toward the guards whileshouting. A few pick up rocks.

✦ Curran calls, unheeded, for calm.

✦ Sherlen puts on her helmet and warns the refu-gees to back off.

✦ The character who has the highest Wisdom scoreor proficiency in Wisdom (Insight) notices a malehuman guard (named Grengel) is terrified, hishand twitching on his crossbow trigger.

✦ Each character has one turn to calm the situationor otherwise intervene.

✦ If the situation is not calmed by the time eachcharacter has had a chance to act, Grengel fireshis crossbow, killing a refugee. If the situation iscalmed, Grengel shoots at a character. In eithercase, he then screams and draws his spear.

✦ The adventurers can then roll initiative withGrengel, who attacks one of them at random.Everyone else is too surprised to act during thefirst round, although Sherlen Miller calls for

Grengel to be subdued rather than killed, on pen-alty of arrest.

✦ When combat starts, the refugee crowd panicsand flees toward the caravan grounds. Severalrefugees are injured in the stampede, including Jon Bower.

✦ The succubus Pencheska, in the form of Natyssa,is among the locals inside the Caravan Gate. Sheis inf luencing Grengel. When Grengel is subdued,she leaves the gate.

Conclusion: Grengel snaps out of his frenzied stateif he takes any damage, then he collapses, sobbing, onthe road. If the characters haven’t taken him down bythe second round, Sherlen clubs him unconscious withher spear haft, bringing an end to the chaos.

If the characters helped, Sherlen allows them intoDaggerford. She tries to arrest the characters if theykilled Grengel, but Curran begs her to avoid escalatingthe tragic situation further. Curran volunteers to keepthe characters in town until matters can be worked out. They can always be arrested later, with the help of theduke’s soldiers if need be. In any case, Sherlen asks tosee the characters “sometime tomorrow.”

The other guards take Grengel, or his body, away. As the situation comes to a close, the militia membersclose the Caravan Gate. Jon and Anise are admitted to the town only if thecharacters or Curran arrange for them.

Curran’s Tour After events at the gate have been resolved, Currantakes the characters under his wing for a time. Whilesmoking his pipe, he shows the characters the placesthey need to see based on how they plan to stay in town.His tour always includes the Lady Luck Tavern and the

River Shining Tavern, as well as Fairfortune Hall. It caninclude any other place the characters are interestedin, such as the Guildmasters’ Hall and the marketplacefor artisans, as well as various temples for the religious.Curran also shows the characters the jail, where Sher-len lives and Grengel is kept. (Sherlen is briefing theduke, so the jail is closed up. Characters can try to talkto Grengel later.)


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Curran also knows that Sir Isteval has gone to Waterdeep with a half-elf named Kelson Darktreaderand the elf lord Darfin Floshin. They were planning todo some scouting on the way to learn more about raidsalong the Trade Way.

The characters then have the evening free. Curraninvites them to the Lady Luck Tavern. If the charactersprefer another venue, Curran joins them there.

Theft of the Delimbiyr BlokeCurran tells the characters that the duke is up in armsbecause, a few days ago, someone stole the DelimbiyrBloke, an ancestral relic in the ducal collections. DukeMaldwyn believes someone in town, likely a refugee, isresponsible. He has all but closed Daggerford until theBloke is found.

The object is a block of shining quartzite, the size ofa brick, carved in the likeness of a bearded face. It hasan inscription in Dwarvish where the mouth shouldbe, reading, “Friendship is more than a word. Weighit carefully.” The Bloke’s nickname comes from the

belief that one of the duke’s ancestors found the brick inDelimbiyran ruins.Curran mentions that Jekk, a dwarf adventurer and

friend of Sir Isteval ’s, was very interested in the Bloke. The half ling priest knows Jekk is organizing a venture

and leaving the town soon. Jekk comes to the sametavern that evening to enjoy some comfort before histrip; see “Jekk’s Departure” later in this section. Currancan arrange for the characters to meet Jekk sooner ifthey wish.

Daggerford Rumors While in the tavern for the evening, the characters hearthe following rumors.

Contact with Julkoun: A seasoned human fishernamed Edic Tilveram talks about the lack of traffic onthe Delimbiyr River from the east. His wife, Yalvi, saysBallick, the gnome tailor at the Decorated Man, hasbeen looking for a shipment of cloth from Julkoun, a village on the eastern river, for a tenday or more. Intelligence (History) DC 10: Julkoun is a town notedfor its cloth mill and underground inn, the Jester’sPride. The Delimbiyr River passes through the Laugh-ing Hollow between Daggerford and Julkoun. Thehollow is a wild land with many fey inhabitants. Intelligence (History or Religion) DC 15: Julkoun

has only one temple. The villagers are devotees toChauntea. If a character mentions this fact, the localspoint out that their priestess of Chauntea, Hadeshah,keeps in contact with Julkoun’s priest, Estor. Gnoll Attacks: Vossan Raker, a retired half-elfrancher, talks about gnoll attacks in the territory east ofthe Trade Way between Waterdeep and the Delimbiyr

THE DELIMBIYR BLOKE The block is, in fact , a sacred item, as Jekk rightly

believes. A relic of Gorm Gulthyn, dwarven guardiandeity, the “Bloke” is actually the Face of Gorm, a won-

drous item. It came from Firehammer Hold long ago,and its magic power can be recharged there.

Alven Gissen told Natyssa about the Bloke. She went

to the ducal castle to see it and sensed the residual

divine magic in it. Then, seeking to sow more discordand remove a possible threat, she stole the brick from

the castle. The object’s theft not only enraged the duke,

but also made him suspicious of Jekk. Because Jekk isa friend of Sir Isteval, the duke also considers Isteval to

be potentially responsible.

On the evening of the day the characters arrivein Daggerford, Pencheska has Alven, whom she has

enthralled, take the Bloke to Harpshield Castle. She

accompanies him part of the way, until they meet an

orc band Wartsnak sends after Baazka informs him ofPencheska’s plan.

The aftermath can be seen in the adventure.

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Route, where his ranch used to be. Kelson Darktreader, Vossan’s friend and the duke’s Master of the Hunt, hasleft town with Sir Isteval and Darfin Floshin, taking acouple scouts to investigate.

Intelligence (History or Nature) DC 10: The wilder-ness between the Waterdeep outpost of Zundbridgeand the Floshin Estate, to the edge of the ArdeepForest, is usually safe. It’s popular hunting territory for Waterdhavian nobles.

Intelligence (History) DC 15: House Phylund of Waterdeep was famous for organizing exotic hunts inthe Ardeep Forest and capturing creatures for the Fieldof Triumph, Waterdeep’s arena. The family had a keepthey called a lodge in the western Ardeep, but theyabandoned it when their fortunes waned. Orc Raids: A human militia scout named Ledorismentions orcs are raiding outlying communities andencroaching on the Delimbiyr Route in the highlandseast of the Floshin Estate. Ledoris knows his mentor,Filarion Filvendorson, helped some treasure huntersplan an expedition to that region a few tendays ago. Intelligence (History) DC 10: Some of the region northof the Delimbiyr Route and east of the Floshin Estatecomprises what is known locally as the “HarpshieldLands.” It is thought to be the domain of a seat onceruled from Harpshield Castle, which is a famous ruinin the southeastern arm of the Ardeep Forest. Intelligence (History) DC 20: Harpshield Castle wasthe seat of power for a human kingdom that hoped tosurvive the fall of Delimbiyran, also called the King-dom of Man. Delimbiyarn was itself a sad successor toPhalorm, which was an alliance that included elves,dwarves, and humans. The kingdom that built Harp-shield Castle fell to the drow.

Meeting Jekk Jekk is a burly dwarf with bushy brown hair and atrimmed beard. His armor is elaborately crafted stud-ded dragon leather with green and gold accents, anda few green gems set into it. He carries a dwarvengreataxe that is similarly appointed. Jekk’s girdle has abuckle of gold and silver shaped like a dwarf face andset with green spinels for eyes. A simple gold loop oftenhangs from one or both of his ears. The dwarf is happy to talk with fellow adventurers,especially if they’re buying the beer. Given his back-

ground, Jekk was fascinated with the Delimbyr Bloke when he first saw it during a visit to the ducal castle with Sir Isteval. He suspects the Bloke is a dwarven reli-gious icon. Jekk tried to borrow Bloke from the duke, and evenoffered to buy it for a considerable sum. The dukerefused, but he allowed Jekk to commission a copy. Alven Gissen, a sculptor working on Morninglow Towerfor Luc Sunbright, made Jekk a plaster replica. Then, afew days later, the original went missing.

Duke Maldwyn questioned Jekk and searched SirIsteval’s house, where Jekk is staying. It’s clear to Jekkthat the duke suspects him, but his and Isteval’s repu-tation prevents the duke from taking drastic action.

Nevertheless, Jekk plans to leave for Firehammer Hold,along with a few companions, the morning after thecharacters arrive. He hopes to show the Bloke copy todwarf priests there to learn what the stone is and whysomeone might steal it. He hopes the trip will take nomore than two tendays. Jekk knows that Alven Gissen is well paid for his work on Morninglow Tower, Amaunator’s temple. Thesculptor has a room at the Silver Flood Inn. (Alvencannot be found at the temple or the inn this night. Thisfact alarms no one until the next day.)

A New Day The next day, the characters have the chance to followup on previous events.

Jekk’s Departure Jekk leaves Daggerford for Firehammer Hold early inthe morning. He and his small party of warriors departafter a hearty farewell breakfast at dawn in the RiverShining Tavern.

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Rumor Follow-upCharacters can meet with people to follow up on therumors. If you’re playing this adventure as part of D&DEncounters and have not yet handed out the maps fromthe play kit, you can give each player one of those maps when an NPC gives such a map to the characters.

Contact with Julkoun: Ballick, the gnome tailor atthe Decorated Man, can confirm that he hasn’t receivedgoods from Julkoun. Most shipments he receives comeearly. A human customer mentions that, yesterday atevening prayer, she overheard Hadeshah, the priestessof Harvest House, sending one of her assistants to talkto Sherlen Miller about Julkoun.

Hadeshah readily reveals that, within the last twodays, almost all the homing pigeons from the temple in Julkoun arrived, with no messages attached, in HarvestHouse. Hadeshah sees the flock’s staggered arrival asan alarming omen. She used a speak with animals ritual yesterday, but the birds could tell her only that theirkeeper let them go and they didn’t see him again. Somepigeons were shot with arrows while flying away.

Gnoll Attacks: Kelson Darktreader is out of town,traveling with Sir Isteval. No further information canbe gained at this time. Grengel: If the characters fail to visit Sherlen Millerbefore noon, and Grengel survived at the gate, news ofGrengel’s suicide has started to spread in the town. The warrior hanged himself sometime last night. Orc Raids: Filarion Filvendorson—found at hishome, on the drill field training scouts, or in the LadyLuck Tavern—confirms he helped organize an expedi-tion to Harpshield Castle more than a month ago. Thetreasure seekers hoped to f ind a hidden vault fromthe times of the Kingdom of Man. This hidden trove isthought to be in the castle cellars or dungeons.

Filarion knows the explorers also prepared forfighting gricks, which are rumored to infest the under-ground areas of the ruins. Orcs had also been seen inthe area. The retired thief assumes the treasure huntersmet an unfortunate end, or he says with a shrug and a wry grin, they swindled him out of his cut.

Filarion has a map of the region. If the characters are willing to come to his house, he can show them the areaand the ruins. He’s willing to give the map to the char-acters if they ask for it.

Sherlen and Grengel At the jail, Sherlen broods over Daggerford’s problems.

Grengel: If Grengel survived at the gate, Sherlenquestioned him then left him locked in a cell until theduke decided his fate. But Grengel hanged himself, asSherlen found when she checked on him this morning.Before noon, only Sherlen, the duke, and a page Sherlensent to the duke know of Grengel’s passing.

Sherlen recalls Grengel as a quiet young man whoseemed “kind of soft.” After the incident at the gate, heclaimed he heard a female voice in his head that toldhim to shoot. He tried not to, but it was as if his bodyignored him and instead heeded the voice. The voiceseemed familiar to him, but malevolent. In all, Grengel was horrified at his actions and wanted to make amends. Sherlen is shocked he killedhimself, since he seemed sincerely prepared to face the

consequences when she left him last night. He had no visitors and has no relatives, although he has friendsamong the militia. Sherlen suggests the militia regularsmight know more about Grengel than she does. Thebest place to talk to the regulars is the drill field—seethe “Meeting Natyssa” section for more. Julkoun: An evening visit from one of Hadeshah’sacolytes, combined with Sherlen’s knowledge of therumors about Julkoun, has the militia captain con-cerned. She openly suggests the characters should go to Julkoun to investigate. If the characters killed Grengel,doing such service for Daggerford makes some amendsand gives folks who cared about Grengel time to cooloff. In any case, she expressed her concerns to the duke yesterday evening, and Maldwyn is willing to pay mer-cenaries to look into the situation (25 gp per character). Sherlen doesn’t object if the characters decide topursue another lead. She reminds them that the dukeisn’t paying for that work, though. If the charactersagree to help Daggerford in any way, she also givesthem a map of the region, saying, “Sir Isteval gave methis to help out those who are helping us.”

The Duke’s Search When they leave the jail, the characters hear a racket

and see a crowd down the Horse Way to the south.Under the gaze of Duke Maldwyn on horseback, ducalsoldiers are searching the shanties for the DelimbiyrBloke. The crowd is mostly tenants whom the dukehas briefly forced out of their homes. Maldwyn canbe heard shouting, “I don’t care if these people have tostand here all day, I want the Bloke back!” Also present are Curran Corvalin and Lady Morwen,the duke’s sister, both of whom try to calm the duke.Darrondar Gweth, the priest of Tempus, watches withcontempt from the door of his home. Maldwyn givesthem only baleful glares until Lady Morwen says the

Bloke is “just an old stone,” and some murmuring andsoft laughter comes from the crowd. Maldwyn becomes enraged, saying, “This theft isan affront, and none of you will make light of it! Whathas been stolen must be returned, and the thieves pun-ished, or I’ll have all you vagabonds expelled from mydomain by force! Perhaps you’ll learn some gratitudeoutside of my protection!” When the search turns up nothing, the duke stormsback to his castle with Morwen.

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Meeting NatyssaPencheska, in the form of Natyssa, can be linked to twopeople of interest in Daggerford.

Alven Gissen: If the characters look for AlvenGissen, he can’t be found.

At Morninglow Tower, Luc Sunbright is peevedbecause Alven didn’t show up for work this morning. While talking, the priest shows the characters incom-plete work in the temple. Luc knows Alven isn’t at theSilver Flood Inn, either, because the priest sent an assis-tant to fetch the sculptor. Searching Alven’s room turns up little. If he lefttown, he did so without much of his property and onlya portion of his money (a coffer in his room contains 2gp, 35 sp, and 96 cp). Connar and Ganfar, the ownersof the Silver Flood, can confirm that Alven’s rent is paidup for a few tendays. While talking about Alven, Connar offhandedlysays aloud, “Come to think of it, I didn’t see his girl,Natyssa, yesterday evening, either. Seems strange they’dleave with the roads so dangerous.” Connar and Ganfar

identify Natyssa as a courtesan who has stayed at theLizard’s Gizzard for a couple tendays now, althoughshe occasionally stays with someone in the Silver Floodand is a recent regular in the tavern here. Connar says,“She’s a nice lady. Don’t blame her that she’s reluctantto leave, what with all that’s happening around here.” “And with the money to be had,” says Ganfar, elbow-ing Connar in the ribs. Grengel: If the players ask among the militia, theregulars are tight-lipped. Given what happened withGrengel, it takes a successful DC 10 Charisma (Per-suasion) check to get anyone talking. If the characterskilled Grengel, this check is made with disadvantage,unless the characters make a good case for needingmore information. Although Grengel was quiet, theothers liked him. He spent a lot of his free time in theLady Luck Tavern, and he was “a killer at lanceboard.”

Ashli, a female militia member then says, sadly, “Hebecame a lot less fun when he started spending time with that tavern girl, Natyssa.” A character who suc-ceeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check can tell by Ashli ’s manner and body language that she was fond ofGrengel and dislikes Natyssa. Ashli knows that Natyssausually stays at the Lizard’s Gizzard “when she isn’tbeing paid to sleep somewhere else.”

Natyssa: When the characters know to look forNatyssa, they can find her at the Lizard’s Gizzard. Theproprietor, Sasha, fetches Natyssa, who is an attractive, well-fed young human with dark hair and differentlycolored eyes (one brown and one blue). She has niceclothes and simple bronze jewelry. Also, she’s the succu-bus Pencheska in disguise.

Alven: Pencheska pretends to have no idea where Alven is. She was planning to go to the Silver Flood tosee him this evening. When she hears Alven is missing,she says, shocked, “I don’t know why he would leave or where he would go. He’s from Waterdeep, but he stillhas a lot of work to do here. And the road is so danger-ous these days.” Grengel: Pencheska feigns shock at Grengel’s actionsat the gate, saying he was always “so gentle.” If news

of Grengel’s death is out, or the characters mention it,Pencheska affects the sadness one might express forthe passing of a fond acquaintance. She says he rarelytalked about himself, so she didn’t know him well.

Venturing Forth When the characters are ready, they can leave Dagger-ford, likely for Harpshield Castle or Julkoun. Refer tothe section appropriate to the site they choose. Use theregion map and the Wilderness Adventuring rules inthe DM Guidelines as aides for playing out the trip.

DYNAMIC SITESAs presented, the adventure sites are staged to portray

the world and story, and to show the usual habits of a

site’s creatures. You are free to change these situationsto suit your preferences and the needs of your game,

even during play. You can add or subtract monsters,

and change where adversaries are and how they act.

For instance, Thegger Grynn could be in the Phylundcellars creating undead, or Shalendra Floshin might

wander her estate with her guardians. It is especially

fitting to change how some creatures act when theybecome aware of intruders. For example, if her familiar

warns her, Shalendra might start searching her home,

hoping to confront the party. Another aspect of this adventure’s staging is that the

sites are intended to be explored in two play sessions,

or about four hours of play. Combined with the goal

of portraying a world rather than a series of discretechallenges, this staging means the monster groups

are not intended to be consistently challenging. Some

“encounters” should seem easy, especially if the play-ers use clever tactics. A few of the enemies and enemy

groups are presented to be a serious threat with fittingrewards, but even these foes are not and should not be

immune to skilled play.


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D AGGERFORDDaggerford, a relic of an earlier age, stands beside theDelimbiyr River. The walled village with its central

keep reflects its origin as the feudal seat of a lord withina much larger kingdom. Its customs and laws are hold-overs from that time.

Rule is hereditary, and dukedom goes to the first-born male. Anyone living in the lands claimed byDaggerford pays taxes to the duke in coin and goods. All able-bodied people also serve turns in the duke’sarmy and must be ready to answer his call to arms,unless they pay scutage, buying their way out of service. Scutage, in turn, grants the duke funds to payfor full-time soldiers and guards, whom the dukeuses to enforce law and custom. Those customs andlaws include the guilds that control day-to-day affairsthrough a council of self-important busybodies. Despite its small size, Daggerford is an importanthub for trade. The Delimbiyr River becomes shallow atDaggerford (thus the “ford” in its name), so boat trafficfrom the east has to stop. This traffic meets with caravans traveling north or south on the Trade Way. Thusgoods, business, and taxes enrich what might otherwisebe considered a petty, rural fiefdom.

Local NotablesPeople particularly pertinent to this adventure aredescribed here, roughly in order of appearance.

Sir Isteval A former adventurer and Purple Dragon Knight offar-off Cormyr, Sir Isteval is living out his retirementin Daggerford (area 10). Believing that the kingdom

of Cormyr was a light to the world, a shining exam-ple of everything that a nation should be, he foughtboldly against the forces of chaos and evil whereverthey threatened the stability of his home realm. Ashis power grew, he assembled several different groupsof like-minded adventurers to help spread the visionof Cormyr’s glory into the Western Heartlands. Hisformer companions are spread up and down the Heart-lands and the North, from Cormyr to Baldur’s Gate andthe Moonsea to Icewind Dale. In a fateful battle against an ancient green dragon,Isteval suffered a grievous wound to his leg that hasnever fully healed. His wounded leg means that Iste-

val’s greatest quests are now behind him, but he hasnever lost his vision of Cormyr as it should be—abeacon and bastion against encroaching darkness.Isteval believes that Cormyr’s greatest challenge is fastapproaching, and unless its scheming nobles and cor-rupt knights and wizards can pull together in unity, thenation is in danger of being conquered by its enemies.

Isteval is a paladin of Amaunator, but he views thegod in an outmoded light as Lathander, the god of dawnand new beginnings. In these days of chaos, Isteval seesthe birth pangs of a new age, and he believes against allevidence and reason that it will bring unprecedented

peace and prosperity. Many trials yet lie ahead, butIsteval is convinced that at the end of his journey is a farfairer place. Although he is no longer able to fight as he did in his youth, Isteval seeks to bring together a new, great com-pany of brave souls to carry on his legacy, preserving his vision for future generations. Isteval is a slender and tawny-skinned human withdark brown hair salted with gray. He often wears theplate armor of a knight, although his left leg is bracedand he carries a walking stick as well as his greatsword.His armor is decorated with the holy symbol ofLathander, which some members of the church of

Amaunator might consider heretical.

Curran Corvalin The half ling who looks after Fairfortune Hall claimsto be from Baldur’s Gate and to have “lucked into”his money when a relative died, he won a bet, he hadsome investments come through, and he found a chestof jewels that someone had lost—all on the same day.Curran’s devotion to Tymora resulted, and his move

Sir Isteval

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to Daggerford came about because, he says, “Money isharder to hold onto in Baldur’s Gate.” Although Curranis a priest of sorts, he is no cleric and possesses no magi-cal powers.

People don’t begrudge the halfling his wealth andleisurely life, since he’s a jolly fellow as generous as theHardcheese halflings of the Happy Cow Tavern. Each year at Midsummer, he helps fund the town’s celebra-tion, striving to make each one more magnificent than

the last. If he’s not in the shrine during the day, or help-ing folks down on their luck, it’s a likely bet that Curranis in the Lady Luck Tavern.

Sherlen Miller The commander of the Daggerford militia and consta-ble of the town, Sherlen Miller strives every day to liveup to her namesake, a great hero of Daggerford, Sherlen“Spearslayer.” Sherlen considers it an honor to serve inthe same role that Spearslayer did a hundred years ago.

Her different roles require disparate aspects of Sher-len’s personality. As commander of the militia, Sherlen

is responsible for teaching townsfolk basic combat tech-niques. She’s happy as a trainer, willing to school fellow warriors in advanced tricks. As constable, she mediatesdisputes and looks after the duke’s interests, a role in which she is much less comfortable. Sherlen is a young human woman of strong build, with short brown hair and green eyes. She typically wears studded leather armor and is rarely seen withouta spear, which she carries in honor of her namesake.

Jekk Ironfist Jekk Ironfist realized the signif icance of his last nameonly recently. Like his shield dwarf father, he was agladiator in Hillsfar’s arena. His father, Kellack, wasknown as Killer Ironfist, because of his name andbecause he fought with a black-iron cestus.

Sir Isteval and the rest of the Company of the SunlitSea freed Jekk from the arena (too late for Kellack). Jekkfought beside them until the group disbanded.

With time to contemplate his life, Jekk looked intohow his father had come to be a gladiator. Jekk dis-covered that Ironfist was not just a moniker but alsothe name of a dwarf clan. Fortuitously for Jekk, thatclan had put down roots near Daggerford, the home ofIsteval. With help from locals, Jekk seeks to learn more

about the dwarves he believes to be his ancestors. Sofar, he’s learned that the House of Stone and Fireham-mer Hold likely have some ties to the Ironfist clan.

Filarion FilvendorsonFilarion Filvendorson is Kelson Darktreader’s halfbrother, born to and raised by a different mother. Heis a nephew to Darfin Floshin. Filarion, a wood elf, isclose to neither Darfin nor Kelson.

Filarion disappeared from Daggerford for many years in search of his father, Filvendor, but the death ofElorfindar drew him back. With Filvendor presumeddead, Filarion had hoped for inheritance. However,

except for a few keepsakes and special items, Darfin was the sole heir. In an attempt to bridge the gapbetween them, Darfin recently purchased the house where Filarion once lived and gave it to his nephew, butFilarion has so far been more resentful than grateful.

Filarion was trained as a thief. To win a few friendsand make some extra money, he trains guard andmilitia members in stealth skills and scouting. He alsoprovides aid to adventurers in the area.

Pencheska (Natyssa)Pencheska, a succubus, is a Thayan agent in Dagger-

ford. She is free to act on her own unless she receives adirect command (usually by magical means) from Tarul Var, her lich master. Pencheska uses her capabilities tocause problems in the town. Sometimes she perpetrates surreptitious acts in theguise of another person, such as when she took the formof a nondescript human woman to steal the DelimbiyrBloke. Most often, she uses her powers of seduction and

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domination to cause others to behave chaotically. Herplan is to ruin as many of the people who can be of usein the coming war as possible.

Her preferred form is that of Natyssa, an attractive

human courtesan who travels with caravans along the Trade Way. As Natyssa, Pencheska’s appearance is verysimilar to her true form. “Trapped” in town like otherrefugees, Natyssa has even caught the duke’s eye.

Duke Maldwyn DaggerfordMaldwyn, the duke of Daggerford, is a selfish, arro-gant man far more interested in being respected andadmired than he is in ruling the region. He enjoys thepleasures accorded to him by his station, consideringhimself a connoisseur of fine food and wine. Unlikemany of his forebears, he has never had an adventure

and has no interest in facing such terrible danger. The duke is a handsome human of not quite middle

age. He dresses in the finest clothing, made from exoticcloths imported from around the world. Maldwyn bearsthe traditional weapon of the dukes of Daggerford, a f lame tongue sword named Lawf lame. The blade is said tohave a mind and personality all its own.

Lady Morwen DaggerfordDuke Maldwyn’s older sister, Lady Morwen, is a sternand serious human woman, less outwardly amiablebut more noble at heart than her selfish brother. Fewpeople in Daggerford know her well, although she oftentrains alongside the militia and regularly pays visits tothe shrine of Tempus. Those who have seen beneath hergruff exterior have become convinced that she is a bornleader who would be a better ruler than Maldwyn. Morwen would never say so, but she and manyothers feel that Daggerford should abandon the out-moded convention of primogeniture and allow Morwento take her brother’s place. Recognizing her compe-tence, and perhaps seeking to keep her from agitatingfor his title, Maldwyn has appointed Morwen hisMaster of Arms, which gives her military command ofthe castle. The title keeps Morwen content, for now. Lady Morwen’s brown hair has gone prematurely white, but her face looks younger than her forty-odd years. She wears leather or even heavier armor as oftenas she does the finery appropriate to her station.

Kelson DarktreaderGrandson of Elorfindar Floshin and a nephew toDarfin, Kelson Darktreader is a half-elf approachingtwo hundred years of age. He has served as Master ofthe Hunt to generations of Daggerford dukes. No onein Daggerford knows the Misty Forest and High Moorbetter than Kelson. The Huntmaster is taciturn, never using two words where one will do. His long hair is silver and his faceshows the weight of years. He is still spry, however, lead-ing hunts and taking rangers out into the wilds to teach

them the secrets of forests, hills, and moors.

Sir Darfin FloshinDarfin “Longwalker” Floshin inherited two heavy bur-dens from his gold elf father, Elorfindar: his desire tosee a new kingdom of Phalorm, and the guardianshipof a place of special magic. In his youth, Darfin’s father witnessed the foundingof Phalorm, the three-crowned kingdom of the elves of Ardeep, dwarves of Dardath, and humans of Delimbi- yran. This strongly allied realm also had large gnomeand halfling populations, making it a beacon of accep-tance and civilization in an often uncivil time.

For nearly a century, Phalorm’s humans, elves,dwarves, gnomes, and halflings fought shoulder toshoulder against orcs, goblinoids, and worse threats inthe North. But that period came to a catastrophic con-clusion. While aiding a human kingdom against an orchorde, the entire army of Phalorm was swept from theface of Faerûn by a lich named Iniarv. Few in the Northbut the eldest elves now realize it, but when folk speak

Duke Maldwyn Daggerford

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of the Mere of Dead Men to the north of Waterdeep, thedead they mention were the flower of Phalorm.

The elves of Ardeep considered their brief experi-ment in alliance with humans and dwarves a failure. They left for Evermeet, abandoning Phalorm and caus-ing the dwarves to do the same. A culture that hadlasted for human generations was suddenly over, and atthe worst possible time.

Elorfindar did not leave, however. He could not.

Duty bound him to the Ardeep Forest. The House ofLong Silences, a portal nexus that the elves used totravel to Evermeet, required a guardian. But even hadElorfindar the opportunity to leave, he would not havedone so. He believed so much in the alliance of goodlyraces that less than ten years after the birth of his sonDarfin, he led the effort to create a new Phalorm. Hehoped elf refugees from another fallen realm wouldresettle Ardeep Forest and work with the dwarves ofthe Forlorn Hills and the humans of Delimbiyran. Young Darfin watched his father attempt to knit thisrealm together, and he watched his father’s efforts fail.

Over the next five centuries, Elorfindar and Darfinsaw the potential for a new Phalorm slip away withthe splintering of Delimbiyran and dissolution of thenearby dwarf realms. Even the successor states ofDelimbiyran gradually vanished, leaving behind noth-ing but ruins and the fortified town of Daggerford, withits ruler still called a duke because once Daggerford was held in fealty to a king.

Throughout this time, Lord Elorf indar Floshin aidedand advised the rulers of Daggerford, often with thehelp of Darfin. Much of the credit for Daggerford’ssuccess can be laid at the feet of these two elves. TheFloshin elves also continued to guard the House of Long

Silences. This structure in the Ardeep Forest was a relicof ancient elven high magic and a means of accessingan extraplanar nexus connected to elven portals allover the world. Elorfindar Floshin guarded it out of asense of duty to the elven people and to all who dweltaround the Ardeep Forest.

Long ago, elves of Elorfindar’s line were gold-elfsupremacists, and they did terrible things in the nameof their people. A few decades before Elorfindar died,this threat rose anew and attempted to gain control ofthe portal nexus, necessitating its destruction. Elorfin-dar spent the last years of his life studying what magicremained in the House of Long Silences, once again

trying and failing to rebuild what time had taken away.Upon Elorfindar’s death, Darfin, as the first born,

inherited the Floshin Estate. Accustomed to years-long journeys to distant lands while his father lived, “Long- walker” now feels tied down. He is uncertain what todo with the legacies he’s inherited. Duke Maldwyndoes not seek or trust his advice, and the House of LongSilences has been quiet for nearly a century. Darfintakes some consolation from that fact that his sister

Shalendra has returned. Due to some disagreementshe had with Elorfindar, Darfin had not seen her indecades, but he now hopes they can honor their father’smemory together.

Shalendra FloshinDarfin’s sister Shalendra (pictured with Darfin and Jekk on the cover) recently returned to the area. Sha-lendra and Elorfindar had some disagreement long ago,

but she made her tearful return, she claims, as soon asshe heard of her father’s passing. In an atonement ofher own, she promised Darf in to continue their father’s work. Having studied portal magic in Evermeet whileshe was away, despite first being a warrior, she brings a wealth of knowledge that Darfin cannot match. At least,that’s what she has led Darfin to believe. Shalendra has kept many secrets from her brother.His sister’s disagreement with their father was overElorfindar’s relationships with human lovers. Shalen-dra has long harbored resentment over being tied tohuman-ruled lands. Humans ruling in the North after

the fall of elves became a source of bitterness for her. While in Evermeet, Shalendra met members of Eldreth Veluuthra, a centuries-old group of elf supremacistsdedicated to wiping humanity out and reestablishingthe elven empires of old.

Shalendra only recently revealed herself to Darfin,but she has been nearby ever since Elorfindar’s death,studying the remaining magic of the House of LongSilences and Elorfindar’s efforts to revive the portals.Shalendra seeks to restore the nexus and give it toEldreth Veluuthra, but she found she lacked the magi-cal power to do so alone. That’s where Baazka comes in.

Baazka discovered Shalendra as she was investigat-ing her father’s work in Ardeep Forest. Drawn to herbitterness and burgeoning evil, he managed to infiltrateher mind. Baazka influenced Shalendra to approachthe Red Wizards and make a deal. They could use thepower of the nodes of Elemental Evil to reconstruct thenexus and thereby gain a means of sending their armiesall over the North and beyond. In return, they couldgrant Shalendra (playing the part of a dispossessed anddisgruntled heir) rule over the region around ArdeepForest once they controlled the Sword Coast. The Red Wizards believed her story, while Shalendra thinks she

can take control of the portal network once the Thayanshelp rebuild it. In truth, Baazka is using Shalendra as one of a fewcontingency plans against what he sees as the inevitabletreachery of the Red Wizards. If Szass Tam fails to keephis promise to restore Baazka to flesh, the devil plans touse Shalendra’s connections to Eldreth Veluuthra andthe elves of Evermeet to turn the portal network into ameans for them to attack Thay. If the Thayans do holdto their word, Shalendra is disposable.


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Tyndal Bridge Approaching Daggerford from the south, visitors cross Tyndal Bridge, a low stone structure named after thehero of a local legend that tells about the founding ofthe town. A boy named Tyndal supposedly fought offlizardfolk at the ford using only a dagger, hence thename of the settlement. Darfin Floshin knows this taleis no legend. He can remember when Tyndal, having

grown to manhood and married the daughter of thearea’s ruler, took the title of duke and built Daggerfordatop the ruins of an earlier castle.

Tannery West of Daggerford, atop a low hill, stands the tannery. The town’s Tanners’ Guild used to do its work on theopen field alongside the caravan grounds, and manyshallow depressions in the field reveal where half-bur-ied soaking tuns once stood. Generations ago, a sicknessthat spread from caravan merchants into the town wasblamed on the stinking air from the industry. After

that, the tannery moved to the drafty structure on thehill. Eastward winds still carry the tannery’s stink, butthe town’s general odor has improved a great deal.

Caravan Grounds This muddy field is filled with wagons and tents in allseasons but winter. While caravan masters stay at theinns within the walls and do trade in the marketplace,their wagon drivers and guards camp in the field. Thismakes the caravan grounds a melting pot of peoplefrom up and down the Sword Coast. Now, the caravangrounds are packed with refugees forced to camp out-side the town.

Moat The steep-sided moat around Daggerford used to be thedumping place for the town’s trash and waste. In any year that the river did not flood and flush it, the Water-mens’ Guild opened channels to the Delimbiyr to washthe worst away. Not long ago, the duke ordered an endto the practice of dumping into the moat. Watermens’Guild members now wheel wagons of waste not neededby the tannery to Tyndal Bridge and dump it over theside. This practice makes for a poor welcome to travel-ers from the south, but it’s an improvement over thetown being ringed in its own refuse.

Town Gates Three gates allow passage through the twenty-foot-high walls of Daggerford. The Caravan Gate (area 2), whichopens from the caravan grounds, is the most imposing, with a set of huge ironbound doors twenty feet wideand sixteen feet tall. The much more modest Farmers’

Gate (area 11) opens from the f ields to the north and isso named because it is the gate that farmers use to bringin produce and livestock. The gate that opens from theriver is called the River Gate (area 21). It’s slightly largerthan the Farmers’ Gate to allow boats to be carried anddragged through to and from Sullerton Shipbuilders.Gates are customarily left open day and night unlessthe town is threatened. Guards stationed at the gatesare lax in their duties, taking note of new faces but

rarely challenging anyone. Daggerford is a small town where everyone tends to know everyone else. Unfamil-iar folk mean travelers with coin, and that’s always a welcome sight.

AccommodationsDaggerford offers a handful of inns that quickly fillto capacity during busy trade times and festival days.During busier periods, some townsfolk offer accom-modations in their homes or businesses to visitors whoseem trustworthy, renting kitchens, shop floors, andother uncomfortable places to sleep at a steep price.

They offer their own beds at even higher costs.

River Shining Tavern The River Shining Tavern (area 24) is a massive woodenstructure bearing the nickname of the Delimbiyr River,and its owners use Delimbiyr as their family name. They’ve long claimed that the tavern is the oldest build-ing in the town, and that it was the place where Tyndallived while the first ducal castle was built. It’s a storythat Darfin Floshin could decry as false, but he’s spenttoo many happy evenings in the tavern to disabuse thelocals of the notion. The fine old building looks the

part, at any rate. The River Shining Tavern caters to those withmoney: visiting nobles, wealthy merchants, and localnotables such as Darfin and Lady Belinda Anteos ofthe Sword Coast Trader’s Bank. When the Council ofGuilds meets, it does so in the private dining chambersof the River Shining to lend an air of importance to theaffair. Prices are high but the service and setting match,so even those not of the upper crust go to the RiverShining when they have something special to celebrate.

The tavern offers several richly appointed rooms onits second floor, as well as three very expensive suites.One of the suites is currently being rented by Hustil

Benzur, a Zhent posing as an agent working on behalfof Amnian investors. During dinners and conversa-tions with various farmers and business owners hopefulof an influx of cash, he looks for sources of potentialblackmail and business opportunities of which theZhentarim might take advantage.

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Silver Flood Inn The Silver Flood Inn (area 22) was established during ashort-lived silver rush in the Sword Hills a few decadesago. It maintains this atmosphere with mining tools asdecorations and “silver” cutlery, cups, and plates in itssmall breakfast room (actually all pewter). The buildinghas many small rooms suitable for one or two people,and during busy times the breakfast room doubles as acommon room for sleepers at night.

The current innkeepers are two boisterous humanNorthlanders, Connar Filvarson and Ganfar Redgrin. Their arrival and acquiring of the inn is cause of consid-erable gossip. During a nightlong celebration, they anda handful of companions did so much damage to theinn that the militia mustered to arrest them. Their com-panions fled, but Connar and Ganfar instead offeredto repay the previous innkeeper. Their drunken pro-posal was laughed at until they produced a rough-cutdiamond as big as a halfling’s thumb. The duke strucka deal on behalf of the two parties, with the result thatthe previous innkeeper became a rich man, the duke

got a beautiful new diamond ring, and the Northland-ers became property owners.

The truth is that Connar, Ganfar, and their com-panions were celebrating a successful raid on Tuern, adiamond-producing island of dragon-worshiping North-landers far to the north. The Tuerni are infamous fortheir tireless pursuit of revenge, but on reaching Dag-gerford, Connar, Ganfar, and friends believed they’dcome far enough south to enjoy their riches without worry. They might even be right. Any refugee who has enough coin to afford decentshelter is staying in the Silver Flood.

The Lizard’s Gizzard The wooden sign hanging outside the Lizard’s Gizzard(area 29) depicts a young boy gutting a lizardfolk war-rior with a dagger. This sign was a deliberate effort toremind locals of the legend of Tyndal and ingratiate theinn’s owner to the community. The effort initially back-fired because the gruesome sign made folk think ofthe potential bloodthirstiness of that owner, a half-orcfemale named Sasha. However, Sir Isteval convincedthe duke and other folks of her worthiness.

The Lizard’s Gizzard serves no food or drink. Thelarge building is given over almost entirely to providing

places to stay, except that half of the first floor servesthe inn’s side business as a laundry. Sasha is sympa-thetic to outcasts and orphans, and her large staffconsists mostly of young women she’s helping to get ontheir feet after some misfortune. Sasha is good-naturedand grandmotherly, but townsfolk still worry abouther orcish heritage. She often says, “I’ll bite the headoff anyone who threatens one of my girls,” and peoplebelieve her.

Sasha’s soft heart is further evident in the fact thatshe has provided a place for many refugees to stay. Shealso lets them use the laundry. Sir Isteval has givenSasha some money to help out the poorer refugees.

The Shanties This collection of one- or two-room shacks serves aslong-term housing for transient people who can movein for as long as they care to pay to stay. Usually inhab-

ited by merchants waiting out the winter or youngfamilies finding their footing, more than half of theshanties have been leased for two years by Calishitehumans who fled the genasi rule and warfare of theirhomeland. The shanties owner, a human male namedBenthil Hugman, was uncertain of taking on foreignrenters, but to his surprise, they’ve taken well to life inDaggerford. With the help of Isteval and his erstwhileadventuring companion Hadarr (also a Calishite and afolk-hero in the shanties), the Calishites have managedto find work. A few of them have even married locals.

TavernsFour full-time taverns operate in Daggerford, whichmight be three too many for the size of the community. Travelers provide the necessary business. The readyavailability of ale in town means that only the farthest-flung farms bother to brew their own.

Happy Cow Tavern The Hardcheese family of strongheart half lings has runthe Happy Cow Tavern (area 15), a homey alehouse, forgenerations. The drink is cheap, the pace is slow, andthe talk is about farms and farming. The Hardcheeses

run a large dairy operation and own various pieces ofgood farmland around Daggerford that they rent outto tenants. These farms provide the tavern with thecheeses that gave the halflings their family name andthe other simple staples served at the Happy Cow.

The Hardcheeses are well known for their generos-ity, and they are happy to lend money to folk they know. Their bar serves as a bank to most of the farmers ofthe region, much to the consternation of Lady Belinda Anteos of the Sword Coast Traders’ Bank. It’s unknownto all but the eldest Hardcheeses, but the secret of theirfamily’s success isn’t just good investments. The HappyCow stands over a dragon’s hoard buried there by the

tavern’s founder. Curran Corvalin convinced the Hardcheeses to feedrefugees staying at the Lizard’s Gizzard. The halflingpriest has given some of his own money to this cause.

Lady Luck Tavern The Lady Luck Tavern (area 17) is named after Tymora,and it has built its reputation around those who takerisks. Inside, most of the first floor is dedicated to a


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taproom with second-floor seating on balconies allaround it. At the center of this space stands a roughstone pillar upon which rests the roof. Iron rungs areset into the pillar so that individuals can climb andmark it with symbols or messages dedicated to those who have died in battle or disappeared on quests. Therest of the tavern is decorated with shields, weapons,and banners. Any toast given in the tavern must includea libation to “those who have fallen before us.”

During the caravan season, the tavern’s femalehuman owner, Glenys, runs a roaring trade with clientsconsisting mainly of caravan guards and other travelers.Gambling occurs at all hours, with Glenys sponsoringa big game on most evenings. Winter proves a quietertime, when locals come for mulled wine and to play afew hands of cards, lanceboard, or other table games.

Curran Corvalin spends most evenings here. Hepays to fill Tymora’s Cup, a drink customarily set asideon the bar for Lady Luck, in case she decides to drop in.

The Otter’s Run

The Otter’s Run (area 23) stands near the River Gateand tends to be the f irst stop for anyone coming to Dag-gerford by boat. If someone wants news from the east,the Otter’s Run is the place to get it. An otter’s dried andstretched pelt hangs beneath the tavern’s painted sign,revealing that the tavern’s owner, a human male namedDavvy Harga, also doubles as a furrier. The name of thetavern and its obvious connection to the owner’s sidebusiness has resulted in otters being a rare sight on thebanks of the Delimbyr for leagues inland.

Daggerthrust AlesSturgin and Halla Brewer, the human couple that ownsDaggerthrust Ales (area 31), have devoted themselves tothe production of drink in new styles. Unlike the sweet,dark ales that other locals make from barley, the Brew-ers experiment with beers in the style of the famousGolden Sands Brewery in Calimshan, as well as withherbal ingredients such as heather from the High Moorand hops specially imported from the south. Halla is aCalishite, and her preference for the drink of her home-land pushed her husband, a man with a long familytradition of brewing, to try new things.

It took a while to win over the locals, but travelers with more varied palates kept the business afloat while

Sturgin and Halla made their case with free samplesto inf luential folk. Now the release of a new brew is amuch-anticipated event. Daggerthrust Ales—named inhonor of the legend of Tyndal and the sharper taste ofits beers—supplies the River Shining Inn, Lady Luck Tavern, the Otter’s Run, and the castle with drink.

BusinessesDaggerford hosts several businesses, with the mostobvious being its three smithies. Other than the ducalcastle, there’s hardly a place within the walls whereone can’t hear the ring of hammer on anvil. Competingbusinesses and individuals manage to profit in the townthanks to its Council of Guilds, which sets prices andadjudicates disputes. No one gets rich under the coun-

cil’s rule, but no one goes hungry either.

Guilds The town’s charter allows for a council to control affairsin the duke’s stead, and for centuries, the town’s guildleaders have been a part of it. It surprises some new-comers that such a small community has guilds, butmany guilds have only a handful of members. Some,such as the Watermens’ Guild, consist of a single busi-ness. As with the guilds of large cities, the guilds hereregulate competition and set parameters for master-and-apprentice and worker-employer relationships. Butthe guilds of Daggerford feel more like families than

mere associations. The guilds include the Smiths’ Guild, Merchants’Guild, Tanners’ Guild, Farmers’ Guild, Watermens’Guild, Rivermens’ Guild, Taverners’ Guild, Scriveners’Guild, Clothiers’ Guild, and the Carpenters’ Guild. Theguilds group together many associated occupations, soinnkeepers are part of the Taverners’ Guild, and theScriveners’ Guild includes those who work at the SwordCoast Traders’ Bank. Many folk are members of morethan one guild, such as the owner of the Otter’s Run, who is a taverner, a tanner (furrier), and a merchant.

The Guildmasters’ Hall (area 14) near the market-

place serves as a library of guild records, the officesfor guild leaders, and meeting halls for the guilds. Theguild system can bewilder some visitors, but Dagger-ford folk take great pride in their traditions and use theorganizations to maintain a close-knit community. Out-siders who are aware of the guilds can pay guild dues (2gp) for access to facilities and members.

Derval’s SmithyDerval Ironeater ran Derval’s Smithy (area 34), thelargest smithy in Daggerford, and served as guildmasterof the Smiths’ Guild for generations. Recently, theelderly dwarf died. Since his three children work asstonemasons, his grandson Ignal Ironeater inherited.Ignal had been Derval’s proxy at guild meetings fordecades and thus assumed the role of guildmaster as well as leader of the Ironeater family’s business.

Derval’s Smithy focuses its work on gear for the sol-diers of Daggerford, turning out spear tips, arrowheads,and studs for armor. Ignal and his apprentices also craftfine armor and weapons in Derval’s style, selling themfor high prices.

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Cromach’s SmithyEstablished by a human blacksmith named Cromachover a century ago, Cromach’s Smithy (area 3) is nowowned and run by a dwarf named Tholvar Cragjaw, adistant cousin of Derval Ironeater. Named for his jaw,broken in battle years ago and never properly healed, Tholvar finds it difficult to speak and is quite taciturn.He mainly makes tools and home goods, and he servesas the primary farrier and wheelwright for the town.

Jerdan’s Smithy Jerdan Went, Daggerford’s only human blacksmith andowner of Jerdan’s Smithy (area 12), survives on the mar-gins of the other smiths’ trade. He takes jobs the othertwo are too busy for, doing a little bit of everything butnone of it as well as the two dwarves. Consequently, hecan’t charge as much unless it’s a rush job. But Jerdanhas no one but himself relying on his income, so hedoes well enough.

Miller’s Dry GoodsBess Miller, younger sister of Sherlen Miller, runs Mill-er’s Dry Goods (area 38). She carries the name of hertrade and the traditional occupation of her family. Thehuman woman owns and runs three mills: one just outof town to the north, another farther north amid thefarms to the west of the Floshin Estate, and the thirdin Bowshot, a village to the south. She’s considered themost eligible bachelorette among the humans in thearea. Many suitors have proposed marriage for roman-tic and financial reasons, but Bess has always politelydeclined. Her shop sells grain, flour, and various goodsfor the home.

Trade of the ToolsOld Ander, an elderly human and lovable eccentric,buys and refurbishes old tools and broken furniture in Trade of the Tools (area 39). In his rats’ nest of a shop,folks can purchase, rent, or barter for just about anyimplement or furnishing, from fishing nets to wash-tubs to grappling hooks to egg whisks. I f you need ablock-and-tackle for a few hours or your shears needsharpening, Trade of the Tools is the place to go.

Helmick’s Herbs and Oddments

The half-elf Helmick Howager specializes in import-ing and foraging for spices, which he sells at Helmick’sHerbs and Oddments (area 40). He also picks upcrystals, strangely shaped roots, pretty bird feathers—basically anything he thinks looks “mystical”—and thenstrings them together in pretty baubles made to wardoff bad dreams or win back a lover. The oddments areharmless charms, but many a mage has found materialcomponents hidden in Helmick’s stock.

The Decorated Man A rock gnome tailor named Ballick runs the DecoratedMan (area 16), living in the tailor shop with a largeextended family. Ballick is a minor illusionist, and heuses spells to help show his customers what they mightlook like in his expensive garments.

The Clean Chin

A shield dwarf female named Hunnett Honestone runsthe Clean Chin (area 9), a combination barber shop andundertaker’s service, from a two-story building. Thefirst floor, split into equal halves, serves her two busi-nesses. The top floor is her living quarters, which sheshares with her elderly mother, Ranna. Hunnet tookover the undertaker business when her father died, butshe kept her own vocation cutting and styling hair.

Gublin’s Cloth & CordageGilly Gublin, the human owner of Gublin’s Cloth &Cordage (area 13), supplies most of the cloth and ropeto the area, importing the finer types and setting hisprices low enough that few can match them. The topfloor of his building is entirely given over to a long gal-lery where rope is twined using special machines ontracks, an innovation Gilly purchased from the HighHouse of Wonders in Baldur’s Gate. The quality of hisrope is such that he exports it upriver.

Sullerton Shipbuilders The building housing Sullerton Shipbuilders (area30) has changed hands and names many times, butits purpose has remained the same for over a century:building boats for river travel. The current owners are

the Sullertons, a family of humans who include WilmaSullerton, matriarch of the clan and current leader ofthe Carpenters’ Guild.

Recent troubles in the area have resulted in less log-ging, leading to a dwindling of the Sullertons’ woodsupplies. Wilma is eager to push the Council of Guildsto do something about it.

Sword Coast Traders’ Bank A new institution in Daggerford, Sword Coast Traders’Bank (area 20) was eagerly encouraged by the duke.It comes as an investment of Lady Belinda Anteos, a

daughter of the Anteos noble family in Waterdeep. The plan is for the fortif ied building to serve as a place where traveling merchants store profits and from whichlocals might take loans. The first part of the plan is working. Merchantscan deposit money in Daggerford and withdraw it in Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate, with the informationabout the deposit transferred through secret magicalmeans. However, locals prefer to rely on friends or theHardcheeses rather than to take money from the bank.


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Religious LocalesPeople of Daggerford pay homage to many gods, butfour deities have long held greater importance in townthanks to structures that have stood for generations.

Harvest HouseChauntea’s temple (area 4), known locally as HarvestHouse, is a large building with an open courtyard

in the middle, lush with plants. Its chief priest, thehuman female Hadeshah, has three young assistantsto help her in the tasks of blessing fields and animalhusbandry. Hadeshah grew up in the small hamlet ofGillian’s Hill, and she was accustomed to following herfaith at family farms. She’s never taken well to speakingbefore large crowds or to daily life in town. When notfar afield helping a farmer through lambing or joininga communal wheat harvest, she spends her time in therelative quiet of the temple garden.

Morninglow Tower

A beautifully gilded structure, Morninglow Tower (area18) is Daggerford’s temple of Amaunator. Standing overthe rest of the town, it shines proudly on the hill next tothe outer walls of the ducal castle. The stone side thatfaces the town is decorated with rosy stones and glit-tering quartz, creating the image of a shining sun inhomage to Amaunator. That side is a facade, since theeastern wall is open to the rising sun (and to the arrowsof defenders if the tower is ever taken during a siege).

Self-important and blustery Luc Sunbright leads worship in the tower. The ducal family worships at thistemple, and Luc considers the duke’s favor to be a markof distinction he has somehow earned, despite the fact

that dukes of Daggerford have worshiped here sincelong before he was born. The priest is very class con-scious, and farmers and merchants who come to rites atthis temple can find themselves brushed aside in favorof wealthier folk.

Table of the Sword A shrine to Tempus, Table of the Sword (area 26) standsnext to Daggerford’s barracks (area 1). Both were builtafter the last Dragonspear War, but only the barrackshas been maintained over the years. Priests of Tempushave come and gone. The shrine, an open-sided hall of

thick wood pillars, is in need of repair.Nearly everyone around Daggerford trains for battle,but the need for that training is mercifully rare. TheLady Luck Tavern also serves as an alternative place tohonor the fallen. To many in Daggerford, this Tempusshrine seems superfluous and overly grim.

Darrondar Gweth leads the worship of Tempus atthe long table in the shrine each midday, when he raisesa horn of mead in honor of fallen warriors. At sunset, heleads a handful of the faithful in song. Darrondar used

to be a soldier in Waterdeep, and he came to Dagger-ford after an ill-fated skirmish left most of his companydead. Although many priests of Tempus are interestedin stirring up war, Gweth is more devoted to honor-ing the slain and giving warriors courage in battle.His home adjacent to the drill field gives him manyopportunities to interact with soldiers, and he’s slowly winning people over.

Fairfortune Hall A shrine to Tymora, Fairfortune Hall (area 28) wasnever a main feature of the town. It was recently rebuiltby Ironeater dwarves in grander style due to funding byits current caretaker, Curran Corvalin.

Ducal Structures The duke of Daggerford rules the town and the sur-rounding lands. That authority is represented by thecastle, its structures, and the town’s high walls.

Ducal Castle The ducal castle (area 7) stands in the same spot as Tyndal’s original wood fortif ication, rebuilt in stone bythe Ironeater clan when it came to Daggerford over acentury ago. The dungeons that worm through the hillbeneath it are even older. They are all that remains ofthe Barony of Steeping Falls, once known as the Baronyof Blood.

A thousand years ago, a vampire named ArtorMorlin ruled the area, but his dark legacy has longpassed from history to myth. Even the elves of theFloshin family know little about him. Secrets the vam-pire lord left behind when he f led to Waterdeep might

still remain undiscovered. The ducal gate leads to the town and is usuallyopen. Inside the castle courtyard are the duke’s privateparade grounds, herb and fruit gardens, and the duke’sfortified manor. The castle’s larder is well stocked withpreserved food, enough for a year’s siege. About fiftypeople live in the castle, including guards and servants.

Stables Visitors and locals can shelter livestock in the stables(area 25), but because the small herd kept for the dukeand the militia are cared for here, the duke virtually

owns the business. During the day, horses graze onthe commons around the castle or are taken out theFarmers’ Gate for exercise and feeding farther afield. A portly human male named Umbero Volin, originallyfrom Turmish, runs the stables. Once a trick rider in acircus, Umbero settled in Daggerford after he sustainedinjuries during a performance for the duke. The circushe was part of was forced to leave him behind.

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Walls and Towers The walls of Daggerford (area 27) are ten feet thick andtwenty feet tall with a battlement walkway behind cren-ellations. The towers, entered from the ground and the walls, stand another ten feet taller than the walls andhave bartizans at their outer corners.

A curious feature of Daggerford’s walls is Delfen’s Tower (area 8). When the wizard Delfen first came toDaggerford, this tower was under construction. He paidthe town well to take over the tower in exchange forswearing to help protect Daggerford. This he did to thebest of anyone’s reckoning, until his disappearance.

Delfen was presumed dead a century ago. The duke’sguards reclaimed the tower, loading all the wizard’sgoods into crates they stored on the ground floor. Thoseon duty in the tower frequently complained of unex-plained lights and eerie noises, but nothing came ofsuch phenomena.

Then Delfen returned, looking not a day older.Darfin Floshin and other long-lived citizens confirmedit was Delfen, but the mage would not explain his

absence. He again offered a large sum and his oath forthe tower. This time he agreed to terms for dispersal ofhis goods if he disappears again.

Like the other towers, this one is three stories tall. The top story is Delfen’s living quarters. He uses thesecond story to meet guests, and teach and house stu-dents he takes on. The first story contains a stable forhis riding mule and is used for storage.

The tower’s arrow loops are small, since they’reintended to allow Delfen to target spells. The windowsfacing the town are larger, providing a him a good view.

Cisterns The squat stone cisterns (area 5) capture rainwater,and the Watermens’ Guild takes water to them froma spring to the northeast. The cisterns are a legacy ofa time when Daggerford was more frequently undersiege, providing a source of pure water for livestockbrought in from surrounding farms. Many peopleprefer cistern water to that from the river or the well inthe marketplace, because they associate the spring thatis its source with Eldath, a god of nature. Using it forcooking, ale making, and cleaning is supposed to bringEldath’s blessing of peace and wellbeing.

Jail The jail building (area 6) houses Sherlen Miller, anoffice for her roles as town constable and militia com-mander, and a couple cells. The cells rarely hold anyprisoners, except rowdies who need time to cool offor sober up. Suspects of serious crimes are held in thecastle dungeons until trial. Less serious crimes arehandled according Council of Guilds laws, in whichimprisonment isn’t used as punishment.

E VENTS IN D AGGERFORDEach time the characters return to Daggerford, theyhave a chance to interact with people and learn aboutchanges in the town and other adventure sites.

Many MeetingsBy the time characters return from their first venture,Sir Isteval, Kelson Darktreader, and Darfin Floshinhave returned, by boat, from a trip to Waterdeep.

Sir IstevalUpon his return, Sir Isteval is first seen encouragingand helping the refugees. Soon after, the knight invitesthe characters to his home to offer them a meal, praise,and support. From his own coffers, he doubles theduke’s offered reward for taking up missions to inves-tigate the raiders. He starts his generosity by doublingthe party’s reward for their first mission or paying 25gp per character if no reward was offered. “Those whohelp Daggerford should at least eat well,” he says.

If the characters have forgotten about talking toKelson Darktreader, Isteval points out that Kelson hasa theory about the gnolls raiding the Trade Way, andmight even send for the Huntmaster to join the meal.Isteval believes the raiders are organized under somegreater evil, and any revelation of possible Red Wizardinvolvement sets him on edge. He vows to keep an eyeon events in Daggerford to make sure nothing is furtherundermining the town. Isteval laments that Duke Maldwyn troubled Jekkand searched Isteval’s home for the Delimbiyr Bloke. Although Jekk is fascinated with the object, Isteval seesit as little more than a curiosity. Isteval considers Mald- wyn to be a petty man more concerned with the imageof his station than the duty of it. (Darfin, likely presentat such a gathering, agrees—see the next section).

GAINING EXPERIENCECharacters start the adventure at 2nd level. They then

gain levels as follows.

3rd Level: When the party returns from Julkoun, thecharacters advance to 3rd level.

4th Level: When the party returns from FirehammerHold, the characters advance to 4th level. 5th Level: After the party deals with the fiendsduring the adventure’s conclusion, the characters

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Darfin Floshin When the characters first arrive back in Daggerford,Darfin Floshin is spending a few days in town tying uploose ends. His trip to Waterdeep was partially to helpIsteval and partially to buy reagents for himself andShalendra. The characters might meet him when hespends time with Isteval, bemoaning the lack of nobilityin the current Daggerford duke. Longwalker is leisurelyabout his trips. He heads back to his estate about thetime the characters are exploring Firehammer Hold.

Kelson DarktreaderIf the characters talk to him, Kelson Darktreader hasa theory on the gnolls troubling the Trade Way. He,Isteval, and Darfin Floshin made the trek to Waterdeepthrough the wilderness along the road. Kelson and twoof his scouts reconnoitered the damage; their trip to Waterdeep didn’t allow more. Since Nandar Lodge islittle more than a ruined foundation, the Huntmasterbelieves the gnolls are operating in or near PhylundLodge—a ruined keep in the western Ardeep Forest.

Kelson can recount that, in his youth, he tookpart in some of Lord Urtos Phylund’s hunts. Wealthy Waterdhavian nobles frequented the lodge then,hungry for excitement and trophies. The object of suchhunts was often a fantastic creature the Phylunds hadcaptured and then released into the woods.

If the characters are interested, Kelson can tell themthe story of the lodge as it appears in the “PhylundLodge” section’s introduction. A character who succeedson a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check doesn’t needKelson’s recollections to know the lodge’s story.

After Kelson’s return from Waterdeep, the duke

assigns him the ridiculous (Kelson believes) task ofsearching the countryside near Daggerford for those who might have stolen the Delimbiyr Bloke. Kelsonuses the opportunity to train scouts.

Duke Maldwyn A self-important man, Duke Maldwyn has little reasonto interact with the characters unless they return theDelimbiyr Bloke to him (see the “Return of the Bloke”sidebar). He otherwise takes minimal interest in themissions Sir Isteval finds so vital. Maldwyn does, how-ever, offer 25 gp per “mercenary” per job for such work,concerned that he look good if Isteval’s concerns prove

to be valid. Meanwhile, as part of her plan to undermine Dag-gerford, Pencheska fosters a relationship with Maldwynthat is likely to prove detrimental to the characters. Seethe “Fiendish Works” section for more on her manipu-lation of the duke.

Further Adventures When the characters complete a couple ventures intothe Daggerford region, other events unfold.

Firehammer Hold After the characters have spent at least three tendaysin and around Daggerford, and after they explore atleast two adventure sites, Isteval begins to worry about

Jekk. The paladin knows the dwarf planned to return intwo tendays. As the end of a month approaches, Istevalbegins to suspect something happened to his friend. Heasks the characters to go to Firehammer Hold to see ifthey can find Jekk.

Floshin Estate After the characters return from Firehammer Hold,a very upset Darfin Floshin comes to Daggerford. He was returning to his estate, but when he got within acouple miles of it, he be

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